Indian Army's Transformation: How Jointness and Integration Shape Future Warfare

INS Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy by COAS Dwivedi at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday.

At the commissioning, COAS Upendra Dwivedi said, "The Indian Army too has launched a series of initiatives under an overall umbrella of a decade of transformation in which jointness and integration are important pillars, recognising that modern conflicts will be multi-domain, hybrid and require united national strength. The Indian Navy plays an important role in our neighbourhood as well as the global environment in far-off lands, where the efforts of the army can play both a supplementary and a complementary role in soft and hard diplomacy, which I refer to as smart diplomacy.

"The Indian Army and Indian Navy have always stood shoulder to shoulder for HADR missions across the globe, or even in amphibious operations. The Indian Navy is looking a future expansion plan in a big way to evolve as a formidable multi-dimensional and networked capable of dominating the seas... As INS Mahe hoist the ensign today, she carries not just the hopes of the Navy, but the collective faith of a nation that stands united behind her. May her voyages be safe, her missions be successful, and her crew steadfast in the service of India," he said.

He said that the successful delivery of INS Mahe by Cochin Shipyard Limited stands as an example of excellence and professionalism.

General Dwivedi further said, "From this day forward, the mantle of responsibility rests upon the shoulders of the Commanding officer and commissioning crew of INS Mahe. You are the custodians of her spirit, her discipline and her fighting edge. Remember, her ship is only as strong as the man who sails her. Her spirit will depend on your courage. Her reputation will depend on your character. The nation will sleep peacefully because you will remain awake, and India's tricolour will fly high across the oceans because you will defend it."

He further said that the strength of armed forces lies in synergy.

"The sea, land and the skies form a single continuum of national security, and together the Army, Navy, and Air Force form the trinity of India's strategic strength. In this age of multi-domain operations. Our ability to act in concert from the depths of the ocean to the highest frontier will determine the security of our republic. We are an operational eye in every domain from Ladakh to the Indian Ocean, from information warfare to joint logictics, Operation Sindoor was an apt example of that synergy," he said.

COAS General Upendra Dwivedi took a guided tour of the INS Mahe after it was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

The ceremony, hosted by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, was presided over by General Upendra Dwivedi, according to a Ministry of Defence release.

Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), INS Mahe represents the cutting edge of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision and endurance - qualities vital for dominating the littorals.

With her blend of firepower, stealth and mobility, the ship is designed to hunt submarines, conduct coastal patrols, and secure India's vital maritime approaches.

- ANI